RDAC literature review: What does the research tell us? Episode one

Dr Jessica Wild from Research in Practice speaks to Professor Brid Featherstone (University of Huddersfield) and Dr Claire Cunnington (University of Sheffield) about a recent literature review carried out as part of the Rethinking Domestic Abuse in Child protection (RDAC) project.

The literature review explored the available international scholarship concerning intersectionality in the context of child protection responses to domestic abuse. This podcast discusses the literature review and some of the key learning that has emerged from it.

The RDAC project is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, and brings together academic researchers from the Universities of Sheffield, Huddersfield and Kingston, along with domestic abuse specialists and practice and policy experts from SafeLives, FutureMen and Research in Practice.

The project has three main aims;

1. To address gaps in our knowledge of the nature and characteristics of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) when families come to the attention of Child Protection (CP) services.
2. To examine the relationship between DVA, CP responses, and intersectional inequalities, and how these shape lived experiences and outcomes.
3. To co-produce frameworks, in partnership with families and practitioners, to support new approaches in policy and practice.

In meeting these aims, the team are working together to better understand and improve the national response to domestic abuse and child protection.

This podcast is one of two podcasts in which researchers from the RDAC project discuss the literature review. Episode 2 will be released in the coming months. It will discuss how the review will inform the next stages of the RDAC project, including the meaningful involvement of families and practitioners as part of the broader project methodology.  

Read the RDAC literature review report.

Resources mentioned in this podcast

The three articles featured during the podcast (in the order that they discussed) including open-access links:

Ferguson, G., Featherstone, B., & Morris, K. (2020). Framed to fit? Challenging the domestic abuse ‘story’ in child protection. Critical and Radical Social Work, 8(1), 25–40.

Ghafournia, N., & Easteal, P. (2021). Help-Seeking Experiences of Immigrant Domestic Violence Survivors in Australia: A Snapshot of Muslim Survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(19–20), 9008–9034.

Spencer, R. A., Lemon, E. D., Komro, K. A., Livingston, M. D., & Woods-Jaeger, B. (2022). Women’s Lived Experiences with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): How TANF Can Better Support Women’s Wellbeing and Reduce Intimate Partner Violence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3).